`
Selection Criteria Writing Service Australia | Expert Government Job Applications and Statements by 1300 Resume
Experienced & Knowledgeable Selection Criteria Writers
Even if you have been successfully writing persuasive resumes and cover letters for years, addressing selection criteria can be a challenging prospect. It demands a specific set of skills and a different approach to marketing your qualifications and accomplishments that even experienced professionals can sometimes struggle with.
First and foremost, addressing selection criteria requires the ability to both succinctly and comprehensively explain how your past experience has given you competencies in core skills such as communication, teamwork or management. Each separate criterion must be responded to accurately, with relevant examples from the experience on your cited résumé in support. This very structured format is something some individuals have difficulty with, but it's one that the team of talented writers at 1300 Resume have extensive experience in.
Supporting you through the application process
Whether this is your first application requiring you to address selection criteria, or you would simply like to ensure that you have the best possible chance of securing the job you want, we are here to help. We understand what recruiters and potential employers require in these documents and can translate your experience into a format that aligns to their capability requirements.
Our staff understand that this can be a daunting prospect, so we want to make this as simple and as easy for you as possible. During our consultation, we will identify key accomplishments and qualifications that merit being mentioned in your selection criteria responses, ensuring that your application stands out from the rest. We have supported applicants across every industry from healthcare to education, finance and information technology in both the public and private sectors. As we work remotely, our writers are able to help people across the country, delivering exceptional results Australia-wide.
Giving you the advice and guidance you need to take the next step in your career
Leverage our depth of knowledge and see find out how we could help you achieve exceptional results in your next job search campaign. Start a discussion with us today and step confidently into a new role with the support and guidance you need from the Australian career specialists at 1300 Resume.
Selection criteria questions, answered
After thirty years writing selection criteria for Australian government applicants, we hear the same questions from clients every week. Here are clear, practical answers to the ten we field most often.
What is a selection criteria response?
A selection criteria response is a written submission that demonstrates how you meet each of the specific requirements listed in an Australian government job advertisement. Unlike a resume, which summarises your career, a selection criteria response answers each criterion individually with concrete examples — typically using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). Most Australian Public Service (APS) and state government roles require these responses as part of the application, and they are what selection panels use to shortlist candidates for interview.
Why do Australian government jobs require selection criteria responses?
Australian government hiring is built around the merit principle — every appointment must demonstrably go to the candidate best matched to the role's requirements. Selection criteria are how panels apply that principle objectively. Rather than relying on a recruiter's impression of a resume, the panel scores each candidate's evidence against the criteria, which makes the process auditable and defensible. That's why a strong resume on its own is rarely enough — without specific evidence against each criterion, you generally won't progress past the shortlisting stage.
What's the difference between APS, EL1/EL2, and SES applications?
APS1 through APS6 cover the bulk of operational, administrative, and professional roles inside the Australian Public Service. Selection criteria at these levels focus on technical capability, communication, and stakeholder skills — usually four to six criteria each requiring around 250-400 words of evidence. Executive Level 1 and Executive Level 2 (EL1 / EL2) are middle-management roles, and criteria shift toward strategic thinking, leadership, and influencing — expect longer, more outcome-focused responses. Senior Executive Service (SES) applications use the SES Capability Framework and require evidence at organisational scale: leading transformation, shaping vision, and delivering enterprise outcomes. Each tier has its own evidence threshold, and writing the wrong scale of example is one of the most common reasons strong candidates get rejected.
How long should each selection criteria response be?
It depends on the role and the instructions in the advertisement. As a general guide: APS1-APS6 roles usually expect 250-400 words per criterion, EL1 and EL2 roles 400-600 words, and SES roles 600-1,000 words per capability. Always read the advertisement carefully — some agencies specify a strict 500-word total ("one-page pitch") or a 250-word limit per criterion, and breaching the stated limit can disqualify you. When no limit is given, our team writes to the upper end of the range for the role's level.
What is the STAR method and how do I use it?
STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result. It's the structure that panels expect each example to follow: briefly set the context (Situation), explain what you needed to achieve (Task), describe what you specifically did (Action), and state the measurable outcome (Result). The most common mistake we see is candidates spending three quarters of the word count on Situation and Task, then running out of room for Action and Result — which is the part panels score. Our team typically allocates around 10% to Situation, 10% to Task, 60% to Action, and 20% to Result, with the Result quantified wherever possible.
Can I reuse selection criteria responses across different government roles?
You can reuse the underlying example, but you should never reuse the wording. Each role's criteria are worded differently, each agency has a slightly different evidence preference, and selection panels can usually tell when a response was written for someone else's job. The most efficient approach is to build a personal library of strong examples — three or four major projects you can tell stories about — and then re-cast those examples to address each new criterion. When clients work with our team on multiple applications, we keep that library on file so subsequent applications cost less and ship faster.
How long does it take to write selection criteria for a government job?
For most APS1-APS6 applications, expect three to five business days from briefing to final draft. EL1 and EL2 applications run five to seven days, and SES applications typically need ten to fourteen days because of the depth required by the Capability Framework. Rush turnaround is available — clients facing a 48-hour deadline can usually be accommodated, though it does carry a priority surcharge. The single biggest variable is how quickly you can answer our briefing questions and provide source material; the writing itself is usually the shorter part of the process.
What does a professional selection criteria writer cost in Australia?
Pricing varies with the level of the role and how many criteria the advertisement asks you to address. Most clients use one of our packaged services that bundles the application response with resume and cover letter — these work out significantly cheaper than buying the pieces separately. Contact our team for a quote tailored to the role you're applying for.
Do I need separate selection criteria for state versus federal government jobs?
Yes — and the differences matter. Federal APS roles use the APS Work Level Standards and the merit framework set by the Australian Public Service Commission. State and territory governments each maintain their own capability frameworks: Victoria uses the VPS Capability Framework, New South Wales uses the NSW Public Sector Capability Framework, Queensland uses the QPS Leadership Capabilities, Western Australia uses the WA Public Sector Leadership Capability Framework, and so on. The structure of evidence and the language panels look for shifts between them. Our team has written applications across every Australian jurisdiction and matches the response to the framework the hiring agency uses.
Can selection criteria be written for SES (Senior Executive Service) roles?
Yes. SES applications are one of our specialist areas. These roles use the SES Capability Framework — five capabilities covering vision, strategic thinking, achieving results, productive working relationships, and personal drive — and panels expect evidence at organisational or sector scale. SES responses are not amplified versions of EL2 responses; they require a different kind of evidence and a different narrative voice. Clients applying for Band 1, Band 2 and Band 3 roles work with senior writers on our team who specialise at this level. Because SES applications are more involved, we always start with a scoping conversation before quoting.
Selection criteria across Australian government levels
Every level of the Australian Public Service has its own selection criteria style — and so does every state and territory framework. Writing to the wrong level is one of the most common reasons strong candidates miss out at the shortlisting stage. Here's what panels actually look for at each tier.
APS1 – APS6 — the operational and professional levels
The APS1 to APS6 classifications cover the majority of Australian Public Service roles, from entry-level administrative positions through to senior technical and professional officers. Selection criteria at these levels are usually framed around four to six requirements covering technical capability, communication, teamwork, stakeholder management, and compliance with APS values. Panels expect 250-400 words per criterion, with each example following the STAR structure (Situation, Task, Action, Result) and clearly demonstrating what you did rather than what your team did. APS5 and APS6 responses should show increasing initiative, judgement, and supervisory experience compared to APS1-APS4.
EL1 and EL2 — the middle-management capability shift
Executive Level 1 and Executive Level 2 roles sit between APS and SES, and the selection criteria shift accordingly. Rather than scoring you on whether you can do the technical work, panels are scoring whether you can lead the technical work — through others, with strategic context, and across organisational boundaries. EL1 criteria typically focus on supporting strategic priorities, leading small teams, managing budgets, and shaping policy advice. EL2 criteria step up again: shaping branch-level direction, influencing senior stakeholders, leading multi-disciplinary teams, and delivering complex projects. Expect 400-600 words per criterion, with evidence drawn from genuinely senior work — not amplified APS examples.
SES — the Senior Executive Service Capability Framework
Senior Executive Service applications use a different framework altogether. The SES Capability Framework defines five core capabilities: shapes strategic thinking, achieves results, cultivates productive working relationships, exemplifies personal drive and integrity, and communicates with influence. Panels expect evidence at organisational, sector, or whole-of-government scale — outcomes that shifted policy, led transformation programs, or delivered enterprise change. SES Band 1, Band 2, and Band 3 applications each carry progressively higher expectations of scale, complexity, and ambiguity in the examples you choose. Responses are typically 600-1,000 words per capability. Because the framework is so distinct from APS and EL writing, our team always starts SES projects with a scoping conversation to map your evidence onto the framework before drafting begins.
State and territory frameworks
Federal APS roles are only part of the picture. Each Australian state and territory maintains its own public sector capability framework, and the structure of evidence panels expect is different in each jurisdiction:
Our team writes applications across every Australian jurisdiction and matches the response language and evidence structure to the framework the hiring agency actually uses. If you're not sure which framework applies to the role you're targeting, send us the job advertisement and we'll confirm it as part of the briefing.